John Bolton 'Disappointed' After Trump Removes His Secret Service Detail

 https://www.newsweek.com/john-bolton-disappointed-after-trump-removes-his-secret-service-detail-2018535

Former national security adviser John Bolton confirmed to Newsweek on Tuesday that President Donald Trump has ended the Secret Service protection assigned to him.

Bolton, national-security hawk who played a key role in shaping U.S. foreign policy during the first Trump administration, has continued to require Secret Service protection due to threats from Iran, even after leaving the White House in 2019.

After Bolton was fired by Trump, the president terminated his security detail. However, former President Joe Biden reinstated the protection upon taking office in 2021.

Trump Starts Purge With Midnight Truth Social Firing of Chef José Andrés and General Mark Milley President Baby

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-starts-purge-with-midnight-truth-social-firing-of-chef-jose-andres-and-general-mark-milley/

Former President Joe Biden greeted President Donald Trump at the White House in advance of Monday’s inauguration with a conciliatory gesture, telling him and first lady Melania Trump: “Welcome home.”

Trump ended his first day back in that home by posting a sneering message boasting of how his team was hunting down hundreds of Biden appointees to throw out of office.

“Our first day in the White House is not over yet!” Trump wrote, in a Truth Social post shortly after midnight. “My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”

Hamas Is Effectively Back in Control in Gaza

 https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-is-effectively-back-in-control-in-gaza-0b0e0a16?mod=hp_lead_pos1

After Israeli troops stood down when a cease-fire came into effect in the Gaza Strip, Hamas began sending thousands of its forces onto the streets to establish control.

Mixed seating or traveling on public transportation during rush hour when it is impossible to avoid contact with women.

Igros Moshe (E.H. 2:14): Question: Mixed-seating on a subway or other public transportation at a time of day that it is impossible not to come in contact with women because of the crowding of people going to work. Is it permitted to travel at that time. Answer: As regarding the forced contact with women there is absolutely no sin since it is not the result of lust  and passion. The basic prohibition of with contact with women is only when it is done in a lustful manner as he learns from the verse lo tikravu. So if not done in a lustful manner there is no prohibition even rabbinically as can be seen from the Shach regarding a Nidah taking the pulse of her husband. .It is standard practice for Jewish doctors to take the pulse of women who are Niddah even if they are married or not Jewish.  .  In sum there is no prohibition if not done in a lustful manner – even rabbinical;ly. Therefore there is nothing to be concerned about travelling on public transportation during rush hour when because of the crowding it is impossible to avoid contact with women. Similarly there is no prohibition to sit next to a woman if there is no other place since it is not done in a lustful manner. Even sitting next to one’a wife who is Nidah is permitted according to the majority of achronim  who agree with the Shach. However anyone who knows that any contact with women causes lustful thoughts should avoid it if possible.  If he must travel then to get to his work it is still permitted but he should try and distract himself from the women and prohibited thoughts and think about Torah. However if he knows he is basically evil and will be sexually aroused it is prohibited to travel even to his work. But G-d forbid! that a person should be that way since it typically is the result of idleness. Therefore he should increase his Torah and work to change this.

Before the Holocaust

 https://etzion.org.il/en/philosophy/issues-jewish-thought/issues-mussar-and-faith/holocaust

C.   Did the Jewish Spiritual Leadership Anticipate the Holocaust and Prepare for It?

This controversial question is surrounded by differing opinions as well as by some misconceptions.  It is an important question and one worthy of the effort to arrive at an orderly response.

 Could the Holocaust have been foreseen? Seemingly, the answer should be 'yes.'  Anyone who paid attention to what Hitler yimach shemo was saying, in his speeches and in his writings, would have had ample evidence of his explicit intentions.  Even if some of his demagoguery preceded his election and could have been interpreted as nothing more than populist rabble-rousing, it was clear from the moment that he took the reins of government in Germany and began to promote his campaign of antisemitic legislation and action that he was carrying out his previously declared intentions.  Indeed, with his rise to power there began a massive emigration of Jews from Germany to the US and to Eretz Yisrael.  This movement slowed around the years 1935-6, but picked up again in 1937-8, with the intensification of antisemitic attacks.  Does the fact that so many German Jews left the country prove that anyone could have known? In this regard, many people point to Ze'ev Jabotinsky and his speeches throughout Europe, warning again and again of the imminent catastrophe facing the Jews of that continent.

Despite all this, I am inclined to accept the argument of Prof.  Yaakov Katz that this clarity comes with hindsight, and that an authentic re-creation of the processes and events in their historical context leads us to the conclusion that it would have been difficult to imagine the Holocaust as a serious possibility.  We know that the weight given to declarations by leaders, and their proper interpretation, is largely context-dependent.  Who could honestly have imagined that Hitler's venomous statements, delivered to gatherings of various associations and groups, were any more than expressions of hatred and belligerence, that there was the remotest chance that anyone in the enlightened world would allow them to be fulfilled, that there would be an operative plan for their realization, and that he would attain power? All of these barriers, along with many others, prevented an accurate reading of the early signs. 

Cosmetic Plastic surgery

Igros Moshe (CM II:66) Question:  Is a young lady permitted to make herself more beautiful by Plastic Surgery? A women who wants to be more desirable for marriage through plastic surgery is this permitted since it involves wounding the body which is prohibited? Tosfos says it is prohibited to wound oneself even if it serves a constructive purpose.  However we see that a Nazir is permitted to destress himself by denying himself wine so why not this. It is logical that where a person will benefit financially or other benefits by causing himself suffering through denying himself wine that it is not prohibited so why not wounding the body? We might explain that refraining from drinking wine for some other benefit is not considered distress since the compensenatory benefit is greater than the suffering. However wounding the body causes actual suffering which is not diminished by the possible benefits. However it seems from the Rambam that wounding is prohibited only when it involves degradation and embarrassment to another.  So if if it is done to beautify oneself it should be permitted. There a number of sources that support this view such as a son performing medical procedures on his father and the prophet Micha asking to get hit as repentance according to G-d  In conclusion it appears that plastic surgery would be permitted for beatification which is a benefit to her. Rashi says the gemora clearly permits a son bleeding his father because of ve'ahavta  since it is something a person  would want done to himself and therefore is not even prohibited. In conclusion since this is for her beautification and her benefit and she wants it there is no prohibition. 

Riots in Beit Shemesh during attempted arrest

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/402627

Fourteen suspects were arrested overnight in the city of Beit Shemesh during a violent riot that began during police activity to arrest a suspect for committing indecent acts on 9-year-old and 4-year-old children.

Four police officers and a medical responder were injured by the rioters and property damage was caused. During the day, the police will request to extend the detention of the suspects involved.

The incident took place shortly after 1:00 A.M. Detectives from the Jerusalem District arrested a 20-year-old suspect on suspicions of sexual abuse of minors. Immediately thereafter, a riot erupted in which dozens of violent rioters tried to prevent the arrest.

Trump Frees Thugs Who Beat Cops With Weapons on Jan. 6

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-frees-thugs-who-beat-cops-with-weapons-on-jan-6/

The list of pardons also includes the former leader of the Proud Boys, who was previously sentenced to 22 years in prison on charges of seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress for his role in planning the attack.

Enrique Tarrio, the alt-right organization’s former national chairman, is one of the thousands of people expected to be freed after Trump’s sweeping order.

Trump signs order to end birthright citizenship. Legal experts say it won’t work.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/01/20/trump-birthright-citizenship-immigrants/ 

When a reporter asked if the order could be called unconstitutional by a court, Trump responded: “Could be. I think we have good grounds, but you could be right. We’ll find out. It’s ridiculous. … People have wanted to do this for decades.”

Did Elon Musk Sieg Heil at Trump's inauguration?

 https://www.jpost.com/international/article-838444

US billionaire Elon Musk appeared to make a Heil Hitler salute at the Washington DC Trump parade on Monday, following Trump's inauguration. 

Musk was seen making the gesture a total of three times on live television

Jewish groups and MPs condemn Nigel Farage over antisemitic 'dog whistles'

 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jun/28/jewish-groups-and-mps-condemn-nigel-farage-for-antisemitic-dog-whistles

Farage has previously aired beliefs associated with antisemitism in a series of interviews with the far-right US conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones, and has called Soros “the biggest danger to the entire western world”.

Nigel Farage on Jews, Muslims, Palestinians and Israel: His most controversial quotes

 https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/nigel-farage-jews-muslims-palestinians-and-israel-his-most-controversial-quotes

During a radio discussion in November 2017, Farage agreed with a caller who said the “Israeli lobby” in the United States was dangerous. Farage said “there are about six million Jewish people living in America, so as a percentage it’s quite small, but in terms of influence it’s quite big… In terms of money and influence they are a very powerful lobby.”

He expanded on the comment, saying that the “Jewish lobby, that has links with the Israeli government”, is a strong voice in America.

The politician was widely criticised by British Jewish groups and MPs. Farage did not apologise.

Veal is Kosher?

Igros Moshe (EH IV, 92:2) Concerning the calves that are fattened in a way that their meat is white (veal). Regarding the matter of calves that a new technique has recently been started in which each calf is fattened individually in a very narrow enclosure so that they do not have room to even walk a few steps and they are not fed any of the animal foods which appropriate for calves, and they do  not taste their mother's milk at all. Instead they are fattened with a very high fat drink that the animals do not enjoy, it is certainly permissible to lie down, etc. And in addition they become ill from this and need special medicines, The expert slaughterers have testified that only 15 calves per hundred provide kosher meat while the lenient slaughterers get 44 or 45 kosher  calves per hundred. In fact everyone agrees that most end up as unkosher which is just the opposite of regular animals  It seems most have defects of the lungs but there is possibly other significant damage and therefore the inner organs should be carefully examined.  Consequently it would seem reasonable to prohibit using this procedure. A Bal nefesh  should not eat veal even after the inner organs were examined. But for everyone else they should not be eaten unless the inner organs were carefully checked.  This practice clearly violates the prohibition of tzar baalei chaim, even though this is allowed when it is needed such as slaughtering them for food or have them carry loads but not to cause them uneccessary suffering even if this brimgs profits. For example if a goy wants to kill or beat an animal that angered him  this is prohibited even if he pays for the animal that he wants to mistreat. Harming is only permitted for eating it even for another’s animal or even that of a goy.  Similarly a person who is very upset about the death of his father is not permitted to beat his animal because of the prohibition of tzar baalei chaim he also is not allowed to burn or destroy anything to show great respect for his father or to calm his upset because this is not considered a need that would permit tzar baalei chaim even though it might not actually cause damage or death to the animal.  They are  is considered simply as destructive acts and not as a genuine need or therapeutic act.  In sum we see that not all everything  can be done with animals to cause them pain even if it brings benefit, only that which actually benefits him such as slaughtering for eating or work. It would also be permitted to feed them with food that or add fat and improves the flavor of the meat but not to change the color of the meat that tricks a person into thinking it is better quality and will pay more for it. .Possibly it would be permited if he knows it is not better meat but he prefers white meat better than red meat. Nevertheless it is prohibited to distress an animal by feeding it things which he does not like and cause it to be unhealthy for the purpose of fooling people  since this transgresses the Torah prohibition of tzar baalei chaim. 

'Team Trump's revenge' on Starmer

 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm27yyv4dy8o

Donald Trump's advisers are "plotting" to help Nigel Farage become prime minister in revenge for Labour's support for his opponent, Kamala Harris. In a piece written for the Observer, London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, warns that as Trump takes power again, the West must "face up to a century-defining battle" against a resurgent far-right that is "on the march across the developed world".